As the temperatures continue to drop, fishing for northern pike will really pick up. Pike are extremely popular during the ice fishing season but are readily available throughout much of the year.

There are many notable northern pike fisheries located throughout Michigan, including on Muskegon, Portage and Manistee lakes and also Michigamme and Houghton lakes. But this species can be found in many lakes and virtually all larger rivers in the state.

Please check the regulations for northern pike regarding minimum size and possession limit. Be sure to read up on this species in the 2016-2017 Michigan Fishing Guide. It can be downloaded by going to www.michigan.gov/dnr. Once there, click on “Fishing” on the left side, then on “Fishing licenses, seasons, and regulations.” You will see the guide on the right side of the screen.